Is RV insurance required in Georgia?

Yes for motorized RVs in Georgia (liability matches state auto minimums). Travel trailers borrow from the towing vehicle. Specialty RV coverage strongly recommended for physical damage and personal effects.

Why does my policy have more than one deductible?

A policy commonly carries a flat deductible for most claims and a separate percentage-based wind and hail deductible in storm-exposed states like Georgia.

Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?

No. Standard homeowners policies exclude all flood damage regardless of cause.

Does my own insurance cover me when I stay in an Airbnb or VRBO?

The host's short-term rental policy protects the host, not you. As an Airbnb or VRBO guest, your own homeowners or renters insurance usually covers your belongings and personal liability away from home, within policy limits, while travel insurance covers trip-specific risks neither the host nor your home policy will.

What does uninsured motorist coverage do?

If you are hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills.

What are my rights as an insurance policyholder in Georgia?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Georgia policyholders have the right to a written claim acknowledgment within 15 calendar days, a decision within 15 business days of a completed investigation, a denial that cites the specific policy provision relied on, the right to request appraisal over a disputed amount, and the right to file a free complaint with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner.

When you buy an insurance policy, you and the insurer sign a contract. Georgia law layers a second set of protections on top of that contract, protections a carrier cannot waive or bargain away, regardless of what the policy says.

Where do these rights come from?

Georgia's policyholder protections come from two places: O.C.G.A. Section 33-4-6 (the statutory bad faith provision) and O.C.G.A. Section 33-6-34 (the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act). Together they require carriers to acknowledge your claim within 15 calendar days, issue a written decision within 15 business days of completing their investigation, cite the specific policy provision behind any denial, and process payment promptly once liability is accepted. The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (OCI) enforces these standards, and it separately reviews and approves the rates and policy forms carriers use in the state, which is part of why the same agency is the right place to complain if a carrier is not following its own approved policy language.

What can I do if a carrier violates one of these rights?

Start with the specific tool that fits the problem. If you and the carrier agree the loss is covered but disagree on the dollar amount, you can invoke appraisal: each side hires an independent appraiser, the two appraisers select a neutral umpire, and a decision by any two of the three sets the final amount. If the carrier missed a deadline, gave no real reason for a denial, or has stopped responding, you can file a free complaint with OCI, which formally notifies the carrier and requests a response. If the carrier's conduct goes further, an unreasonable refusal to pay with no legitimate basis, Georgia's bad faith statute may apply, though whether a specific situation meets that bar is a legal question best evaluated by an attorney rather than something this page can determine for you.

How does this differ from what my policy says?

These rights sit on top of your policy, they do not replace it. Your policy still controls what is covered and for how much. Georgia's claims-handling laws control how the carrier has to behave while it processes that claim: how fast it must respond, what it must tell you, and what recourse you have if it does not. A carrier can deny a claim that is genuinely not covered without violating any of these rights; what the law does not allow is a carrier sitting on a valid claim, ignoring your calls, or denying it without explanation.

Example

A carrier acknowledges a homeowner's hail-damage claim within the 15-day window, then goes silent for two months with no decision and no further contact. That silence past the normal decision timeline is exactly the kind of gap these rights exist to catch, giving the homeowner grounds to file an OCI complaint rather than simply waiting indefinitely for a response.